The 25 Best Albums of 2018 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – July 3, 2018

Which albums impressed critics during the first half of the year? Find our ranking of 2018's highest-scoring studio albums (so far) in the gallery above. The list includes releases through June 30, 2018 that have received at least 15 reviews from professional critics as of July 2nd. (Re-releases, EPs, and compilations are also excluded, and note that even though you'll see rounded Metascores, the albums are ranked prior to rounding.)

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89 #2: Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe

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After spending much of the past five years focusing on her acting career (including award-winning turns in Hidden Figures and Moonlight), the inventive pop star returned in April with her third full-length LP—a critically praised concept album that was accompanied by a companion film.

“A record that will go down as a milestone not just as a work of art in its own right, but as the perfect celebration of queerness, female power, and self-worth.” —The Independent

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